The news that was first reported Dec. 11 is now official: Former Stanford quarterback Tavita Pritchard has taken another step up the coaching ladder on The Farm with a promotion to offensive coordinator.
Pritchard's official title is the Andrew Luck Director of Offense, which is appropriate for the former player who at one time acted as a mentor for a young Luck at Stanford. That may be considered his first experience as a coach.
"Tavita and I have had a strong connection since he was a player," said head coach David Shaw. "He not only understands our offense, but he has helped us expand it over the years and has done a great job training our quarterbacks."
Pritchard signed with Stanford as a recruit in 2005 out of Clover Park High in Lakewood, Wash. and will always be remembered by Cardinal fans for quarterbacking the 24-23 upset over USC in 2007. It was a victory that is largely credited with announcing the program had a pulse under the new leadership of then head coach Jim Harbaugh.
Pritchard graduated in 2009 and came on board Stanford's staff in 2010 as a volunteer assistant. He worked his way up to defensive assistant (2011-12), running backs (2013), quarterbacks and wide receivers (2014-15) and had the title of the Kevin M. Hogan Quarterbacks Coach for the past two seasons.
"I would like to thank Coach Shaw for his trust, and the incredible opportunity to lead the Stanford offense," said Pritchard in a press release. "Ever since I set foot on campus as a high school junior recruit, I fell in love with this place. And over the past 13 years, it's become my home -- I met my wife in class here as an undergrad, and our son was born at Stanford Hospital. It has been an honor to be a student, teammate and coach within this program, and I'm excited to continue the journey as a Stanford Cardinal and attack my new role."
Pritchard's work with Hogan is particularly noteworthy because of how long the two worked together. Hogan's development eventually landed him atop the career wins list at Stanford and he became a quarterback who has started for the Cleveland Browns. Not many people would have predicted Hogan would be an NFL quarterback when the Virginian signed with Stanford in 2011.
Stanford's current starting quarterback, redshirt freshman KJ Costello, offered this praise of Pritchard's coaching after the Cardinal upset No. 9 Washington:
"Bottom line is I think Coach (Tavita) Pritchard is one of the best teachers in the classroom that I have come across my whole life in school. The mental reps that we take in the classroom feel so real. I felt like I was making decisions, breaking the huddle with 10 seconds left and I have to manage between two or three plays, and I was instinctually getting to the right look as the game went on. I realized there were certain coverages structurally that they couldn't actually run with where they were lined up at the time. So, I anticipated what they were getting into and there were a couple big plays where I was right and it ended up working out for us."
And Pritchard has a special perspective to offer recruits as someone who can speak to the experience of recently being a student-athlete at the prestigious university.
Senior quarterback Tanner McKee of Corona Centennial (Calif.) is the No. 71 overall recruit in the 2018 class and he has developed a close relationship with Pritchard.
"The thing I love about coach Tavita is he is genuine," McKee messaged Cardinal Sports Report Dec. 11. "I have always felt I can trust him. He’s a great coach and loves teaching football. I also like the fact he is young and he is smart. He relates well to the players because he was in their shoes just a few years ago. When we were at breakfast together a few weeks ago we had a great conversation about life and the school. I’m very comfortable with him. It feels like I have known him forever."
Pritchard's character and personality makes it easy for young players to connect with him.
Stanford 2018 running back commit Justus Woods described his conversations with Pritchard as "amazing".
"I can’t wait to see the new additions he makes to the offense with his new promotion!" he messaged Tuesday. "He just seemed like a great coach who knows how to interact well with his players So I am excited that I will be able to work with him!"
The Cardinal's lone 2019 commit is St. John Bosco wide receiver Colby Bowman, who has camped three times at Stanford. Those trips have given him more chances to work with Pritchard than most recruits get with a college coach before their junior season.
"I am very excited that coach Pritchard is the new OC!" he messaged Cardinal Sports Report. "I’ve gotten to know him very well and I can’t wait to get up to The Farm and work with him some more!
"I haven’t gotten to see much of his coaching side yet but I can just tell he is a great coach from getting to work and learn from him a couple times up on campus. Off the field he is super easy to talk to and it’s always fun to catch up with him."
